Neil Young says his music is too good for streaming services

on Fri, 07/24/2015 - 14:47

After years of complaining about modern music formats, gripes that go all the way back to CDs, Neil Young announced that he's pulling his music from all streaming services.

He announced the news on his Facebook page, with an introductory note that reads: "Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans." Young claims that the move has nothing to do with money, even though his "share (like all other artists) was dramatically reduced by bad deals made without my consent."

Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans.It's not because of the money, although my share (like all...

Young also announced the news on Twitter, linking back to his Facebook post. For years, Young resisted pressure to reissue several of his '70s albums on CD. He eventually gave in several years ago, but to this day, there are still a few omissions in Young's CD catalog.

For the past year or so, Young has championed a new music player, Pono, which he helped develop, and which he claims sounds better than competitors like Apple's iTunes. The player is aimed more at audiophiles than typical music fans, who would be most affected by his pulling music from services like Spotify and Apple Music.

Young has been in a particularly feisty mood lately. His latest album, "The Monsanto Years", is his most politically charged in years, a raging set of songs against the agricultural corporation known for its use of GMOs. He also recently took a swipe at Donald Trump for using his 1989 song "Rockin’' in the Free World" for his presidential campaign.

If that wasn’'t enough, Young apparently isn't all that happy with old-school vinyl records, either, recently referring to their resurgence as a "fashion statement". Still, as the singer-songwriter concluded in his Facebook post: "When the quality is back, I'll give it another look. Never say never."